La Flèche Wallonne 2020 [FULL RACE] (ladies)

September 30, 2020

La Flèche Wallonne 2020 – Huy – Mur de Huy : 124 km

All eyes are on Anna van der Breggen, the new world champion, to secure a record sixth consecutive victory at La Flèche Wallonne Feminine on Wednesday. Van der Breggen is in top form heading into this year’s event, that was postponed until September 30 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, after winning the Giro Rosa and double world titles in the time trial and road race at the Road World Championships on the weekend. The Ardennes Classics have been reshuffled as part of the late-season revised calendar with La Flèche Wallonne, which is normally sandwiched between Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, now opening the three events. Liège-Bastogne-Liège, which normally closes out the Ardennes, will be held on October 4, and Amstel Gold Race, that normally opens the series, will now take place on October 10 in the Netherlands.

Four days after soloing to her second Road World Championship title, Anna van der Breggen (Boels Dolmans) has won the women’s Flèche Wallonne for the sixth consecutive time. On the steep Mur de Huy, Demi Vollering (Parkhotel Valkenburg) accelerated with 350 metres to go, but Van der Breggen easily got on her wheel.

In the final metres, Vollering faltered, and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, who had until then stuck to Van der Breggen’s wheel, had no match for the world champion’s sprint. Uttrup Ludwig finished second with Vollering in third. Trek-Segafredo’s Lizzie Deignan crossed the line in fourth place.

“It was such a hard race”, Van der Breggen said after the finish. “I am happy to be able to win. I think this was the closest of the past six editions, and I could feel in the race that I was pretty tired. The team did a lot for me this year, riding really hard, so I felt some pressure to finish it off.”

Van der Breggen led most of the way up the Mur de Huy, setting the pace and then responding to Vollering’s move. “Chantal [van den Broek-Blaak] and Amy [Pieters] dropped me off at the front”, Van der Breggen described the finish. “I go as fast as possible, but still leave something for the end. And if the others are coming, you need to follow. Demi was coming, and I waited a bit until the 150-metre sign, then I knew I can go all-out.”

How it unfolded

Kirstie van Haaften (Ciclotel), Mireia Benito (Massi-Tactic), and Marieke de Groot (Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport) attacked only a few kilometres into the 124km race and formed the early break. They were reeled in as the race entered the finishing circuit with 52km to go. It also started to rain, making the race even harder.

On the climbs that followed, a new front group of seven riders emerged. With Amy Pieters and Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (both Boels Dolmans), Anouska Koster (Parkhotel Valkenburg), Hannah Barnes (Canyon-SRAM), Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Trek-Segafredo), Floortje Mackaij (Team Sunweb), and Elise Chabbey (Équipe Paule Ka), several of the big teams were represented, and this group came onto the first ascent of the Mur de Huy 32km from the line with a 30-second advantage on the peloton.

Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (CCC-Liv) put in an acceleration on the steep slopes that fractured the peloton, and on the plateau following the climb the seven-rider break was caught by the best riders, forming a new front group of about 30 riders.

As Trek-Segafredo had Cordon-Ragot and Ruth Winder working hard for their leaders at the front of the group, Uttrup Ludwig suffered a mechanical that required a bike change. With no teammates around, the Dane then had to chase back by herself for several kilometres before rejoining the front.

Chabbey tried to attack over the top of the Côte d’Ereffe with 19km to go but was quickly reeled in again. Entering the penultimate climb, the Côte de Chemin des Gueuses with 11km to go, Boels Dolmans took control with Pieters and van den Broek-Blaak who set a high pace to discourage attacks and kept the group together into Huy.

At the foot of the Mur, 17 riders were still together, and Van der Breggen was at the front to set the pace. Vollering came alongside the world champion and attacked, but her move came too early. Uttrup Ludwig had been able to follow Van der Breggen’s acceleration but had nothing left to come around on the final metres.

Deignan had been a bit further back on the lower slopes and surged past several riders on the final 200 metres to take the fourth place, but lost the lead in the UCI Women’s WorldTour to Van der Breggen.

Behind Deignan’s teammate Elisa Longo Borghini and Moolman-Pasio, 22-year-old Mikayla Harvey (Équipe Paule Ka) finished in seventh place. Liane Lippert defended her lead in the Women’s WorldTour U23 ranking by coming in eighth.

Results :
1 Anna Van der Breggen (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam 3:17:28
2 Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:00:02
3 Demi Vollering (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:00:06
4 Elizabeth Deignan (GBr) Trek-Segafredo Women 0:00:11
5 Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo Women
6 Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) CCC-Liv
7 Mikayla Harvey (NZl) Equipe Paule Ka
8 Liane Lippert (Ger) Team Sunweb Women 0:00:18
9 Marianne Vos (Ned) CCC-Liv 0:00:22
10 Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-Sram Racing 0:00:25
11 Katrine Aalerud (Nor) Movistar Team Women 0:00:32
12 Niamh Fisher-Black (NZl) Equipe Paule Ka
13 Grace Brown (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott Women 0:00:37
14 Lucy Kennedy (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott Women 0:00:41
15 Lauren Stephens (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:00:43
16 Anastasiia Chursina (Rus) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:00:46
17 Marta Cavalli (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:01:01
18 Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team Sunweb Women 0:01:11
19 Amy Pieters (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam 0:01:37
20 Hannah Barnes (GBr) Canyon-Sram Racing
21 Chantal Van den Broek-Blaak (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam 0:01:54
22 Juliette Labous (Fra) Team Sunweb Women 0:02:02
23 Nancy Van der Burg (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:02:05
24 Elise Chabbey (Swi) Equipe Paule Ka 0:02:08
25 Urska Pintar (Slo) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:02:10
26 Sandra Levenez (Fra) Team Arkea 0:02:20
27 Anouska Koster (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:02:24
28 Jelena Eric (Srb) Movistar Team Women 0:02:51
29 Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) CCC-Liv 0:03:27
30 Katia Ragusa (Ita) Astana Women’s Team 0:03:39
31 Ruth Winder (USA) Trek-Segafredo Women 0:04:00
32 Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) CCC-Liv
33 Kristen Faulkner (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:05:46
34 Eugenia Bujak (Slo) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:05:57
35 Arlenis Sierra (Cub) Astana Women’s Team 0:06:07
36 Hanna Nilsson (Swe) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:06:15
37 Audrey Cordon Ragot (Fra) Trek-Segafredo Women 0:06:25
38 Margarita Victoria Garcia Cañellas (Spa) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:06:49
39 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon-Sram Racing 0:06:52
40 Alison Jackson (Can) Team Sunweb Women 0:06:55
41 Paula Andrea Patiño Bedoya (Col) Movistar Team Women 0:06:57
42 Erica Magnaldi (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro
43 Teuntje Beekhuis (Ned) Lotto Soudal Ladies 0:07:01
44 Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team Sunweb Women
45 Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam 0:07:05
46 Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:07:07
47 Elena Cecchini (Ita) Canyon-Sram Racing
48 Brodie Chapman (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:07:10
49 Omer Shapira (Isr) Canyon-Sram Racing
50 Eri Yonamine (Jpn) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:07:13
51 Gloria Rodriguez Sanchez (Spa) Movistar Team Women 0:07:15
52 Nikola Noskova (Cze) Equipe Paule Ka 0:07:19
53 Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam
54 Carmela Cipriani (Ita) Aromitalia-Basso Bikes-Vaiano
55 Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Aromitalia-Basso Bikes-Vaiano 0:07:31
56 Evita Muzic (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:07:34
57 Aigul Gareeva (Rus) Cogeas Mettler Look Pro 0:08:36
58 Maria Novolodskaya (Rus) Cogeas Mettler Look Pro
59 Diana Klimova (Rus) Cogeas Mettler Look Pro 0:09:09
60 Sara Van de Vel (Bel) Ciclotel 0:09:22
61 Valeriya Kononenko (Ukr) Ciclotel 0:09:50
62 Manon Souyris (Fra) Charente-Maritime Women Cycling 0:10:54
63 Karlijn Swinkels (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
64 Typhaine Laurance (Fra) Team Arkea
65 Gladys Verhulst (Fra) Team Arkea
66 Kathrin Hammes (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT Pro
67 Nicole Steigenga (Ned) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport
68 Georgia Williams (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott Women
69 Sarah Rijkes (Aut) Ceratizit-WNT Pro
70 Victorie Guilman (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:11:01
71 Nina Kessler (Ned) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:11:03
72 India Grangier (Fra) Charente-Maritime Women Cycling
73 Lara Vieceli (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro
74 Christina Schweinberger (Aut) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport 0:11:09
75 Eva Buurman (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam 0:11:12
76 Rossella Ratto (Ita) Chevalmeire
77 Nina Buijsman (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
78 Jade Wiel (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
79 Eugénie Duval (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
80 Leah Dixon (GBr) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
81 Sharlotte Lucas (NZl) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
82 Coralie Houdin (Fra) Team Arkea
83 Julie Leth (Den) Ceratizit-WNT Pro
84 Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) CCC-Liv
85 Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:11:16
86 Soraya Paladin (Ita) CCC-Liv
87 Alexis Ryan (USA) Canyon-Sram Racing 0:11:20
88 Vittoria Guazzini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
89 Laura Asencio (Fra) Ceratizit-WNT Pro
90 Letizia Borghesi (Ita) Aromitalia-Basso Bikes-Vaiano
91 Wilma Olausson (Swe) Team Sunweb Women 0:11:26
92 Noemie Abgrall (Fra) Charente-Maritime Women Cycling 0:11:28
93 Alicia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) Movistar Team Women 0:11:51
94 Iuliia Galimullina (Rus) Cogeas Mettler Look Pro 0:14:10
95 Kelly Van den Steen (Bel) Chevalmeire 0:14:42
96 Mieke Docx (Bel) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport
97 Lone Meertens (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
98 Alice Sharpe (Irl) Ciclotel 0:14:46
99 Lourdes Oyarbide Jimenez (Spa) Movistar Team Women
100 Mireia Trias Jordan (Spa) Massi Tactic Women Team
101 Jessica Allen (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott Women 0:15:09
102 Silvia Pollicini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:15:17
103 Olha Kulynych (Ukr) Ciclotel 0:15:20
104 Janneke Ensing (Ned) Mitchelton-Scott Women 0:15:47
OTL Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin (Can) Massi Tactic Women Team
OTL Giulia Marchesini (Ita) Aromitalia-Basso Bikes-Vaiano
OTL Coralie Demay (Fra) Charente-Maritime Women Cycling
OTL Olga Shekel (Ukr) Astana Women’s Team
OTL Anastasia Carbonari (Ita) Aromitalia-Basso Bikes-Vaiano
OTL Sofia Collinelli (Ita) Aromitalia-Basso Bikes-Vaiano
OTL Kirstie Van Haaften (Ned) Ciclotel
DNF Kim De Baat (Bel) Ciclotel
DNF Anna Plichta (Pol) Trek-Segafredo Women
DNF Nerea Nuño Iglesias (Spa) Massi Tactic Women Team
DNF Martina Moreno (Sp) Massi Tactic Women Team
DNF Noemi Rüegg (Swi) Cogeas Mettler Look Pro
DNF Isabel Martin Martin (Spa) Massi Tactic Women Team
DNF Blanca Liliana Moreno Canchon (Col) Astana Women’s Team
DNF Mireia Benito Pellicer (Spa) Massi Tactic Women Team
DNF Alice Coutinho (Fra) Charente-Maritime Women Cycling
DNF Thalita De Jong (Ned) Chevalmeire
DNF Tayler Wiles (USA) Trek-Segafredo Women
DNF Anaïs Morichon (Fra) Team Arkea
DNF Lucie Jounier (Fra) Team Arkea
DNF Marieke Van Witzenburg (Ned) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport
DNF Kathrin Schweinberger (Aut) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport
DNF Shannon Malseed (Aus) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
DNF Annabel Fisher (GBr) Cogeas Mettler Look Pro
DNF Jesse Vandenbulcke (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
DNF Julie Van de Velde (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
DNF Federica Piergiovanni (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
DNF Puck Moonen (Ned) Chevalmeire
DNF Nicole Hanselmann (Swi) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport